Best Buckinghamshire Grammar Schools 2026/27

Buckinghamshire has 13 grammar schools and operates a fully selective secondary school system. The grammar schools are located across Aylesbury, High Wycombe, Amersham, Chesham, Marlow, Beaconsfield, Burnham and Buckingham.

The Buckinghamshire 11+ is officially called the Secondary Transfer Test (STT). It is administered by GL Assessment and covers four subjects: Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, English and Mathematics. The test is multiple choice format.

The qualifying standardised score is typically 121 — this is the threshold at which a child is considered eligible for a Buckinghamshire grammar school place. The standardised score accounts for the candidate's age at time of testing.

The Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test is typically held in mid-September of Year 6, with a practice test earlier that month. Results are usually published in early to mid-October so families can submit their secondary school applications by the 31st October deadline. Confirm 2026 dates on buckinghamshire.gov.uk before relying on a timetable.

STT registration typically opens in early May and closes in mid-June of Year 5. Children attending a Buckinghamshire primary school are auto-enrolled. Out-of-county families must register directly with Buckinghamshire Council. The Local Authority secondary school application deadline (separate from STT registration) is 31st October.

No — children at Buckinghamshire primary schools are automatically entered for the Secondary Transfer Test through their school. Only out-of-county families need to register separately. You can opt your child out if you do not wish them to sit the test.

There are no catchment areas for Buckinghamshire residents, so any qualified Buckinghamshire-resident child can apply to any Buckinghamshire grammar school. However, oversubscribed schools use distance as an oversubscription criterion when allocating limited places.

Boys' schools include Aylesbury Grammar School, Royal Grammar School High Wycombe, Dr Challoner's Grammar School and John Hampden Grammar School. Girls' schools include Aylesbury High School, Wycombe High School, Dr Challoner's High School and Beaconsfield High School. Co-educational schools include Chesham Grammar, Sir Henry Floyd Grammar, Sir William Borlase's Grammar, Burnham Grammar and The Royal Latin School.

Prepare across all four STT subjects — Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, English and Mathematics — using GL Assessment-style multiple choice papers. Buckinghamshire offers a practice test in early September that gives children experience of the format. Most families begin focused preparation in Year 5. Prep4All provides practice papers and adaptive lessons in all four 11+ subjects.